"Green Gold" - a board game on land use and climate change

In 2019, Fern worked with a game designer to create “Green Gold” - a board game to show the complex issues that need to be considered when thinking about how best to tackle the climate crisis through improved land use. It is set in a fictional country as it struggles to cope with environmental changes over the course of the 21st century.

The game is designed for six players, supported by a facilitator. The players are assigned roles to manage either the energy supply, food supply or forests of the country, with individual goals that determine whether they ‘win’ or ‘lose’ at the end of the game. Col­lectively, they will be challenged to maintain the public mood of the population by ensuring that the demand for resources is met. They must also reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so that the increasing temperature is kept in check. If the temperature rises too high, various environmental disasters will occur, making life even harder for the inhabi­tants of the country.

The gameplay is a combination of individual and collective strategy, with alternating rounds of individual action, collective action, roleplay and personal reflection. The game encourages players to reflect on the trade-offs between different land uses, and the implications of those choices. It takes about two hours to play, and is intended to be followed by a discussion/reflection session amongst the players.

The game was developed by game designer Jamie Harper, in collaboration with Fern. If you would like to order a copy of the game, to set up a play session of the game, or to discuss adapting the game for a particular context, please contact info@fern.org.

Category: Bioenergy